Give young biologists a firsthand look at the process of evolution with this engaging student-centered science investigation. Taking advantage of the rapid life cycle of the Wisconsin Fast Plant, this experiment involves students growing...

Does the human body evolve as quickly as human culture? With a stellar 15-minute video, explore the trait of lactose intolerance. Only about 1/3 of human adults seem to still have the enzyme lactase and therefore, the ability to digest...

The highlight of this lesson plan is a 53-minute investigative video, Can Science Stop Crime?" The question asked is whether or not aggressive behavior is caused by genetic factors. The answer has to do with genetic complexity, the...

Should genetic scientists be permitted to alter mtDNA to eliminate birth defects? That is the question examined in Rob Stein's article for NPR that explores the ethical issues raised by this research.

Nine pages of material on inheritance make up this handout. It begins with a reading on alleles and how they can result in albinism. A chromosome modeling activity and questions follow. Junior geneticists learn to complete Punnett...

Juvenile geneticists will jive with this imaginative investigation of inheritance in dragons. Six pages begin with a detailed introduction to meiosis and homologous chromosome pairs. Instructions guide learners through a simulation in...

In a sweet simulation, junior geneticists examine the chromosomes of a fictitious Reebop marshmallow animal, combine chromosomes to produce offspring, and then make a model of the resulting Reebop baby. Phenotypes include number of...

Here is a fascinating cross-curricular instructional activity that investigates how limited genetic variation may have increased the prevalence of a rare genetic disease among the Navajo tribe.

Students study Mendelian Laws of Inheritance and differentiate between the different crosses.  For this Mendels Law lesson students describe DNA replication and genetic engineering. 

Review the aspects of human cloning and the moral issues associated with it. Individually, your students will keep a list of the articles related to this issue and research issues related to the ethic issues people are concerned with....